[nagdu] Jury finds IA Dept. for Blind's guidedog policydoes notdiscriminate

Fri Feb 20 19:47:40 UTC 2009

Nicole,
    Not only do some guide dog schools not require O&M skills - though all 
claim to do so, not all O&M training is alike. When I was trained in 1983, I 
was placed under sleep shades during my entire training. As a final exam, I 
was driven around West Palm Beach and dropped off without being told where I 
was. I was told to meet my instructor back at the center.
    I know guide dog users who have never had a bit of cane travel 
instruction and their guide work shows it.
    I feel I am as independent and mobile with my cane as I am with my dog. 
In fact, I currently use my cane more than 80% of the time, as my dog is 
semi-retired. It is my contention that we must have good cane travel skills 
before obtaining a guide dog and should maintain those skills. There are 
times when the guide dog is not a good choice for mobility, such as going to 
a concert, going fishing on a crowded boat, roller skating, and visiting 
someone's home who does not want a dog in their residence. BTW, I am not one 
to contend that, if a person does not want my dog in their home they are 
rejecting me, too! I would rather have the option of going without my dog 
than not having a full life with all that means for me.
    No one would object to going to a guide dog school and being asked to 
not use their cane for a time in order to learn good guide dog skills. Why 
is it different to go to a center that is teaching cane travel skill and 
expect to use your dog?
    I would also like to say to those who assert that the NFB training 
centers are anti dog that I know two guide dog users who are currently at 
the louisianna Center for the blind with their guide dogs. They are not 
being treated less favorably nor have they told me that the staff exhibits 
any negative attitudes toward them for their choice of a guide dog for 
mobility.

fraternally,
Marion Gwizdala


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Nicole B. Torcolini" <ntorcolini at wavecable.com>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Thursday, February 19, 2009 10:46 PM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Jury finds IA Dept. for Blind's guidedog policydoes 
notdiscriminate


> This also raises an interesting question. Supposedly, if the person needs
> more mobility training, the dog guide school would not have admitted them.
> In other words, are some dog guide schools not strict enough on their
> mobility requirements?
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "sarah baebler" <wolvessarah at hotmail.com>
> To: <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Thursday, February 19, 2009 6:15 PM
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Jury finds IA Dept. for Blind's guidedog policydoes 
> not
> discriminate
>
>
>
> The way I took it was that they weren't leaving her out but wanted her to
> get the fundamentals of cane travel before using the dog as a mobility 
> aid.
> Just like in the center they want you to use the cane before if you have a
> dog use that.  At GDB they test us to make sure we have good cane travel
> before we're accepted into the program so I don't see why she was anti
> trying.  I don't want to give up traveling with Dante all the time but I
> would if I was being taught on cane travel.  Even in a new area I go out
> with a cane and learn the area before I take my dog.  I just think they
> could have made a plan.  To work with the cane even if she had the dog 
> with
> her, or use the cane one week the dog the next.  I just think if your
> learning cane travel then use the cane.  I agree that she shouldn't have
> just left the dog home for the 6 months, or not use the dog at all.
> I don't know maybe I misinterpreded the article but that's what I got from
> it. I also think people are too eager to sue sometimes instead of working
> things out.
> Sarah and Dante
>
>> From: queen.marsha.lindsey at gmail.com
>> To: nagdu at nfbnet.org
>> Date: Thu, 19 Feb 2009 19:40:54 -0500
>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Jury finds IA Dept. for Blind's guide dog policydoes
>> not discriminate
>>
>> I do not understand myself. How is this center any different than one of
>> our
>> training centers? Even people who attend our centers can use their dogs. 
>> I
>> understand the need to learn to use the cane, but if that person chooses
>> to
>> use a dog then so be it.
>>
>> Why do we always have to put the cane users against the guide dog users?
>> Marsha
>>
>>
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